After discovering my new love for sweet making, I decided to try making something which I have loved for as long as I can remember. I think with marzipan it’s either a love it or hate it kind of sweet, but I absolutely love it and the ones that I made were lovely as little gifts, but I also used it to bake with which was delicious and so much nicer than the shop bought stuff. I also experimented a bit and tried chocolate marzipan which was a yummy twist on the classic marzipan!
Salted caramel seems to be very fashionable in the food world at the moment and I love having it on fruit, puddings or just eating it on its own. So I thought why not put it into my all time favorite thing to make: cake. And what goes amazingly with caramel? Banana! So that’s how this scrumptious tray bake was created, and what’s more, there’s not only salted caramel swirled into the cake but I’ve also put it in the icing and drizzled some on top of the icing for a truly caramely finish! The salted caramel was also homemade by myself to make this cake extra special.
Banana and Salted Caramel Swirl Traybake
Banana and Salted Caramel Swirl Traybake
So after I made a traditional lemon meringue pie I was having a think about how I could tweak it in order to make it a bit more fun and summery. Then I came up with these gorgeous little lemon meringue pies which are just perfect for a summery afternoon tea, or perhaps as a special gift or a garden party. These cute little pies are so versatile and would suit many occasions, not to mention they just look beautiful simply to have on display!
Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
Even though Hannah’s Gluten Free Goodies is an up and coming business, I’d still like to share the odd recipe and do other things such as reviews of gluten free products and tips on gluten free baking. So… here is my first recipe! I picked this one because it’s been so hot here lately, and in the heat sometimes you just don’t fancy a big piece of cake or something rich and chocolaty. These chocolate and date delights on the other hand, are so light you could eat several in one go and they’re also incredibly easy and quick to make. They are a bit like mini meringues but with lots of yummy things inside.
All of the ingredients in these delights are naturally gluten free, although do double check that your chocolate chips are gluten free as some occasionally contain gluten.
Chocolate and Date Delights
Chocolate and Date Delights
Oven temperature: 180C/160C fan/350F/gas mark 4
Makes about 12
Ingredients
2 free range medium egg whites
110g/4oz caster sugar
50g/2oz chopped dried dates
50g/2oz desiccated coconut
50g/2oz plain chocolate chips
Method
Pre-heat your oven and grease and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks (you will know when they are at this stage by tipping the bowl upside down – if the mixture stays in place then they are done but if it moves then carry on whisking). Gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, however, be careful not to over mix as the mixture can become sloppy.
Fold in the remaining ingredients with a metal spoon and place small mounds of the mixture (roughly a tablespoon) on the prepared trays, spacing them well apart.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until fairly crisp and golden on top. Leave on the trays for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
These will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container although they are best eaten as fresh as possible. Enjoy!
I’ve been exploring sweet making recently, and one of my favorite sweets is fudge so I thought I’d have a go at trying my own! I wanted to do something which reflected summer and I thought one of the best ways to do this is to pick my all time favorite summer fruit and incorporate it into the fudge. And voila – chocolate raspberry ripple fudge was created! The thick layers of white and dark chocolate are sandwiched between sweet raspberry puree made from fresh raspberries – heaven! And of course made with completely gluten free ingredients.
Chocolate Raspberry Ripple Fudge
Chocolate Raspberry Ripple Fudge
This is probably one of my favorite bakes. I love cherries but here I used Maraschino cherries which have a delicious almond flavour to them, which when combined with the almond extract and the ground almonds in the sponge… you are left with a beautiful almond and cherry cake bursting with flavour! The brown sugar topping finishes this cake off perfectly.
Cherry and Almond Loaf Cake
Cherry and Almond Loaf Cake
These dainty little buns are so light and almost melt in your mouth. The zingy lemon sponge is balanced out by dipping the buns in sugar to create an ideal sweet pick-me-up, lovely with a morning coffee.
Lemon Sugar Buns
Lemon Sugar Buns
This cake is so fun to make and the end result is really rewarding. Fresh apricots are used to coat the bottom of the cake along with a generous coating of chopped almonds. Then, when baked, the cake is flipped and the topping turns into a sticky almondy glaze which seeps into the sponge to make the whole cake moist and very tasty.
Apricot and Almond Upside Down Cake
Gluten free pastry is often difficult to make as it can be very crumbly and fall apart, which is why gluten free pies and other pastry based bakes are harder to find than gluten free cakes. However, once you have mastered the art of pastry making, an exciting range of bakes can be made including this mouthwatering lemon meringue pie. The homemade lemon curd filling is made with fresh lemon juice and zest to give it that sweet and zingy taste. I first made this for Easter and it proved to be an ideal party pudding which is popular with children and adults alike.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Aside from baking a variety of cakes, I also like to try my hand at biscuits and cookies. After several attempts, I have managed to perfect these cherry and chocolate chunk cookies so that they have the perfect balance of sweet cherries and rich chocolate. These cookies are a combination of both soft and chewy, and will certainly give you that much needed chocolate fix!
Cherry and Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Cherry and Chocolate Chunk Cookies
